First ever Rapid Response Force Islamabad completes training

Passing out parade of 409 personnel of police, Rapid Response Force was held in Islamabad

Islamabad Police will soon get a specialised force to tackle terrorism as the first ever Rapid Response Force (RRF) has completed the initial phase of its training.

The RRF batch of graduates included fresh police recruits who graduated on from the police academy in Islamabad on Tuesday in an elaborate passing-out parade. Overall, 409 police personnel have passed out. Out of these, 254 are from rapid response force, 155 regular police officials while 13 are lady constables.

Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan attended the parade as the chief guest. He praised the professional skills of the new recruits and asked them to always uphold professional standards and the rule of law. He directed police to bring down the crime rate in the capital. “I want crime rate at zero in the capital,” Nisar said while addressing the new recruits.

The Interior Minister, whose ministry oversees the Islamabad police, also inspected the parade sitting in a jeep. The Minister said although there has been some improvement in recent years but there was still room for further enhancement.

Talking about the RRF, he said that once fully trained, it would be capable of carrying out counter-terrorism operations. “I am glad that in last three years appointments in police department have been made on merit and in a transparent manner,” he added.

Inspector General of Police Islamabad, Tariq Masood Yasin said that they had completed training of the group in a record time of just five months.

Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan praised the professional skills of the new recruit

Rapid Response Force Islamabad

Rapid Response Force Islamabad will solely be a counter-terrorism force which will respond to related emergencies in Islamabad, a role currently being jointly handled by the police and Rangers.

The RRF batch consists of 22 women and 232 men. After completing their basic police training, the RRF personnel will now undergo specialized combat training where units from the army’s Special Services Group (SSG).

Once that training is complete, the force is expected to become operational in 2017. The force is expected to be managed by its own SSP and will operate out of a separate building, expected to be set up near Police Lines.

The force would have a strength of 1,000 personnel – including a squad of snipers – while recruitment for its second batch would start soon, according to news report.